


need you to hate me

by allthefadinglights



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Formula 2 RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, First Kiss, M/M, That's it that's the plot, They're rival team principals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 17:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29637996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthefadinglights/pseuds/allthefadinglights
Summary: Callum, who usually doesn’t have any trouble being calm and professional, finds himself being riled up by Marcus every time their drivers get into it on track. It’s gotten so bad his team already groans when there’s a car of Armstrong Racing close to one of theirs, knowing that Callum will go off if something happens.
Relationships: Marcus Armstrong/Callum Ilott
Comments: 7
Kudos: 72





	need you to hate me

**Author's Note:**

> I uh. I should really not write this many fics but it's just so fun to do. I got this idea earlier today and I fully intended to write it down quickly and leave it for later this week to write, but here we are. I felt like Guanyu would make a great communications manager, considering he at least has half a braincell, so that's the job I gave him. 
> 
> Enjoy this little piece of enemies to lovers!

Callum is sincerely starting to question why he ever got into the business of racing. Fine, maybe he didn’t get any further than F4 by himself as a driver, but he did manage to climb the ranks within UNI-Virtuosi rather quickly, from mechanic to engineer and finally, to team principal. He was considered young for team principal standards, but he knew the business as well as anybody so his age didn’t really matter much. He likes to be involved with his team, and people often think he’s just another one of the mechanics because he’s very hands-on, likes to help think about the problem and provide a solution if he can. Virtuosi has been pretty dominant in Formula 3 the last couple of years, joining as a new entry just before Callum took over and they managed to get up to speed in the category really quickly. Combined with good drivers, it was only a matter of time before they’d be fighting for the titles - both driver’s and team’s. He’s aware they’re not always the fastest, but they’re quite consistent, which is also an important factor in winning titles. 

Their biggest rival since they joined F3 has been Armstrong Racing, a relatively new team which had been more established in Formula Regional by Alpine. They were run originally by Rick Armstrong, but his son Marcus had taken over last year - and he was even younger than Callum. He was also a massive pain in the ass and Callum, who usually doesn’t have any trouble being calm and professional, finds himself being riled up by Marcus every time their drivers get into it on track. It’s gotten so bad his team already groans when there’s a car of Armstrong Racing close to one of theirs, knowing that Callum will go off if something happens. Like today. One of Callum’s drivers had had an incident with one from Armstrong Racing and Callum had already felt his blood boil at the thought of having to argue this out with Marcus at the stewards’ office. 

As it turns out, they don’t have to wait until they get to the stewards’ office because Marcus is already stomping in his direction, looking annoyed as ever. “Oh, you wanna get into it in the paddock?” Callum calls, squaring his shoulders. Fine, if Marcus is starting it, he’s not about to give in and let things go. 

“Callum, can you just let it go for once?” his manager of communications, Guanyu, asks him. “It’s like watching toddlers fight. You’re supposed to be a team principal making wise decisions here.”

“I have never made a wise decision in my life,” Callum replies. He’s not sure if he should be offended when Guanyu mumbles his agreement. 

“Can you please just teach your children that three into one does not go?” Marcus says when he’s close enough to talk to Callum without yelling across the paddock. “We lost out on good points today because you damaged a front wing.”

“I, personally, did not damage anything, for starters,” Callum snaps, “I don’t drive my cars. Secondly, this is Formula 3. They’re here to learn. Unless you attach some flashing LED sign to your cars that says ‘please avoid’, I don’t think they’ll be staying away from yours.”

“You’re so fucking annoying,” Marcus hisses. “I’ll see you at the stewards’, again.”

“I think you’re the annoying one here,” Callum replies, eyes tracking Marcus all the way as he turns on his heels and marches back to the Armstrong Racing awning. Fine, maybe that wasn’t his best or most mature comeback, but it’s satisfying to know he’s pissed off Marcus even more.

“Callum, for fuck’s sake,” Guanyu tells him. “He’s just doing it to rile you up and it’s clearly working. Now, will you go do your damn job or do I need to do it? Because I want a raise if I’m going to be doing your job because you’re too busy flirting with Armstrong.” 

“I’m not flirting,” Callum argues. “I’d be a lot nicer if I was. But I’m not, because he’s a pain in my ass and I kinda hate him.”

“Right, sure,” Guanyu says sarcastically, pointing towards the motorhome. “You might want to brief your driver what to say before you send him into the stewards’ office.”

It’s only race one of this round and Callum already wants to take a nap. But they’ve got another race to go later today and he refuses to let Marcus fuck with his head, so he shakes it off and gets back to work. Of course, it’s just Callum’s luck that one of his and one of Marcus’s drivers come together in the second sprint race. It’s a rather nasty crash but they’re both okay, it’s just a lot of damage, and after the relief of that has subsided, Callum finds himself storming down the pitlane towards Marcus. Marcus meets him halfway, apparently had the same thought. They end up screaming at each other to the point where FIA stewards have to step in and redirect them back to their own pitwall. 

“Callum, we have a summons from the stewards,” Guanyu says when he gets back. His face is still hot and he’s ready to yell for another hour if he’d get the opportunity, but he’s ready to focus on the race again and help his two remaining drivers to a good finish. 

“Yeah, I’ll deal with it later,” Callum says dismissively.

“No, it’s for you. You’re being summoned to the stewards. You made one hell of a scene with Armstrong just now.”

“He just pisses me off,” Callum mumbles. “Besides, if he’d just coached his drivers, this wouldn’t have happened.” Guanyu just gives him a look without replying and Callum feels a little like a scolded child. “What? It’s true.”

Both Callum and Marcus get a big fine for unprofessional behaviour and they get told by the stewards that even the drivers, who are often still teenagers, behave better after incidents than the two of them do. “I don’t ever want to see a scene like this again or we’ll be handing out disqualifications for your entire team,” the steward concludes. “You’re adults, you’re mature enough to run a team, so surely you’re mature enough to talk things out in a calm and professional manner. Get it together.”

He looks at Marcus a little sheepishly when they step back outside. He refuses to be the first one to apologise, but this does serve as a wake-up call. They really do need to get it together, or it’ll interfere with racing. “Meet me at the hotel restaurant tonight at seven,” Marcus says, leaving no room for argument. Callum wants to argue, he really does - who does Marcus think he is to be giving him orders? - but instead, he just agrees. Guanyu would be so proud of him. It earns him a funny look from Marcus, who was clearly expecting more resistance, but Callum turns around and gets back to the Virtuosi awning, the document detailing the offence and his fine in his back pocket. The fine is pocket change to him, anyway. Guanyu laughs at him for a solid five minutes when he shows him the document and Callum crosses his arms, waiting for him to finish. 

“You have to see how funny that is, right?” Guanyu manages to say eventually. “You got told off by the stewards for making a scene with Armstrong because the two of you are absolutely incapable of behaving like adults around each other.”

“I’m meeting him for dinner tonight,” Callum replies. “I’m not sure yet if that means we’re burying the hatchet, but I think he’s finally realised how unacceptable his behaviour is.”

“Not just his. Should I inform hotel security just in case you decide not to bury the hatchet after all?”

“Don’t think that’ll be necessary,” Callum shrugs. “I can keep it together.” The noise Guanyu makes, makes it obvious that he doesn’t believe it at all.

Callum cannot keep it together. Marcus presses every last one of his buttons before they even get to a table. He finds himself gritting his teeth in silence, waiting for their drinks to arrive. This was a terrible idea. “Why do you hate me so much?” Marcus asks him then. “You’ve never liked me and I don’t understand why. Is it because you’re no longer the only young team principal on the scene? Do you just hate losing?”

“I don’t lose to you,” Callum counters. It is true, they’ve been able to beat Armstrong Racing for the past two years in both driver’s and team’s championships. “You started arguing with me on the first day of the season, if I remember correctly. So I could ask you the same thing.” He’s deflecting, he’s aware of that, but it’s mainly because he doesn’t have an answer. As far as he knows, nothing in particular had happened to make him dislike Marcus - not at first, at least. Their many arguments since were a good reason though.

They eat in silence for a while. Callum feels Marcus’s eyes on him from time to time, but he’s not looking at Callum with his usual annoyance and dislike. It’s more like he’s an interesting science project Marcus is studying. In turn, he studies Marcus between bites of his pasta. It’s easier to look at him when they’re not actively yelling at each other and Callum’s blood pressure isn’t through the roof. “Can we at least be civil?” Marcus asks eventually, a pleading tone to it. “You don’t have to like me, I doubt you ever will, but I’m really tired of all the arguing.”

“Is it because we got fined and you can barely afford it?” Callum snipes. He really can’t stop himself from saying it, it’s just second nature at this point. 

Marcus evens out his face, puts down his cutlery. “Right. Never mind, I thought we could approach this as adults for once but I see that’s not going to work. Good night, Callum.” 

“Wait,” Callum says when Marcus gets up. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I can’t seem to behave around you. I know that’s not an excuse but I really am sorry. Please finish your food, I’ll foot the bill.”

“Why, because you think I can’t afford it?” Okay, fine, he deserved that one. “I’m perfectly capable of paying for my own dinner.”

“I’m well aware,” Callum sighs. “Please? Consider it an apology.” Marcus takes his seat and picks up his fork again. “I really don’t know how you manage to press all my buttons without even trying.”

Marcus gives a humourless laugh. “Yeah, I wish I understood why you annoy me so much but I don’t. My dad never had any problems with you, it’s just me.”

“Can we try to be civil from now on?” Callum asks after a short silence. He knows he’s treading on thin ice here, considering he’s the one who just made another remark at Marcus. “My communications manager will actually murder me and take my job if we get fined again.”

“Okay,” Marcus replies. “On the condition that we have dinner together at least once per round to discuss things like normal people if something comes up.” Callum agrees easily enough, that’s not such a weird request. And it makes sense, they can talk things through over dinner instead of shouting at each other in the paddock. It’s a lot more civilised and might actually reflect the fact that they’re both team principals, rather than teenagers. 

Callum will deny to his dying days that his stomach flipped when Marcus smiled at him as they said good night. 

They keep their word, Callum inviting Marcus to his hotel room for room service dinner the next round. He has a headache, and the restaurant is often too loud to properly understand what anyone is saying, let alone when his head is pounding. Marcus agrees without questioning why it’ll be in Callum’s hotel room. Guanyu calls it a date, Callum kicks him in the shins. 

There’s not a whole lot for them to discuss today, thankfully. No incidents between their drivers, so they mostly eat in silence. Marcus is pretty good company when he’s not yelling at Callum - and he’s cute. Callum wants to kick himself for that thought but now that it’s gotten into his head, it won’t leave him alone. He has incredibly pretty eyes, of which Callum is sure he’s noticed before when Marcus got up in his face to shout at him, but it’s only really sinking in now. It makes it a lot harder to feign being indifferent to Marcus, because he’s not. And the more time they spend together, the fonder Callum becomes. He barely even remembers why he disliked Marcus so much, because they actually get on quite well now that they’ve gotten over themselves. He’s got the same sense of humour as Callum, he’s quick to put him in his place if he says something stupid and he runs his team in a similar manner to Callum. He’s afraid they’re actually becoming friends.

They’re halfway into the season before another incident happens between their drivers. Callum notices everyone around him holding their breath and glancing at him to see what he’s going to do, and Callum is vividly reminded that no one really knows that he’s buried the hatchet with Marcus, aside from Guanyu. So he continues his work without even looking at the Armstrong Racing pitwall, and Marcus doesn’t show up at his side either. He pretends not to hear the sigh of relief his team members let out. 

Marcus asks Callum for dinner in his hotel room this time around, and Callum doesn’t question it. They eat in relative silence, though Callum can’t help but glance at Marcus occasionally. “What?” Marcus asks after dinner. “You keep looking at me, do I have something on my face?”

“No,” Callum hastens to say, feelings his cheeks get hot. “Nothing on your face.”

“Then why do you keep looking at me?” _Because I’ve somehow fallen in love with you, you infuriating idiot._ But he can’t say that. He’s just struck a delicate balance with Marcus, he’d rather not ruin it with brash confessions. Guanyu would actually kill him if he fucked this up. “Callum?”

“It’s nothing,” Callum repeats. “Seriously, there’s nothing.”

Marcus shuffles over with his chair, a lot closer to him now. “You’re lying. Something’s up. I know what you look like by now when you tell a lie, and you’re not very good at lying anyway.”

Callum splutters in protest, but he knows Marcus is right. He still can’t fuck this up though. Marcus is really close to him now, close enough to count his eyelashes, studying him intensely. Fuck it. There’s not much to lose, is there? Aside from his carefully built friendship with Marcus, that is. Before he can overthink it any longer, Marcus closes the distance between them and kisses him. Callum is so surprised it takes him a second to realise what’s happening, and by that time Marcus has already pulled back, apologising frantically. “Marcus, shut up,” Callum manages to say.

“What? I’m apologising for kissing you, which I clearly should not have done, and I’m really sorry-“

“Marcus, get back here and kiss me again,” Callum sighs. “You just surprised me, that’s all.”

“You better not be fucking with me right now.” 

Callum gently takes his hand and pulls him closer, presses his lips to Marcus’s in a soft kiss. “Do you still think I’m fucking with you?” 

“No,” Marcus whispers. “And I think you should shut up.” He kisses Callum again, slides one hand up to his neck to hold him in place as Callum gets a grip on Marcus’s waist. He parts his lips for Marcus to deepen the kiss, and it gets hot and heavy quite fast as Marcus lets one hand wander up Callum’s shirt. 

“Fuck,” Callum pants when they break apart. “Why did we waste so much time fighting when we could’ve been doing this instead?”

“Hey, you started it,” Marcus replies, and he kisses Callum again before he can argue.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a [Tumblr](http://allthefadinglights.tumblr.com/)! I've asked for some input on a soulmates fic so hop on over if you'd like to add to that!
> 
> And comments are, as always, much appreciated <3


End file.
